Shelly's Recipe

EASY ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

Category: Cakes from Cake Mixes

5 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 pkg plain white cake mix
3 large egg yolks
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour three 9-inch round layer pans with vegetable shortening and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set the pans aside.

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Set the bowl aside.

Place the cake mix, egg yolks, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, blend on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Turn the beaten egg whites out on top of the batter, and with the rubber spatula fold the whites into the batter until the mixture is light but well combined. Gently fold in the coconut and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops out. Place the pans in the oven, two on the center rack and another pan above if three layers will not fit on one rack.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 25 minutes. The top layer may bake more quickly, and it might needing rotating to a lower rack during baking. Remove the pans from the oven, place on a rack to cool 10 to 15 minutes, then invert once, and then again, so that the layers rest right-side up on racks to complete cooling. Frost with the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting and serve.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: Blend an 8-oz (softened) pkg of cream cheese with 8 tbsp soft butter, then add 4 cups sifted confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp coconut flavoring. Beat until creamy, and frost the middle, top, and sides of the cake.